Denmark Selects Distributed Construction Strategy for New Arctic Ships

Danish Defence reports that the study group working on the strategy for the construction of its new Arctic ships selected a distributed construction model, which will be the most cost-effective while creating jobs and speeding development of the ships. They called the agreement a milestone that will also set the framework for further work leading to the acquisition of ships for its navy.

Under the agreed plan, several production sites across Denmark will build components and blocks for the new ships. Final assembly will take place at a newly developed, government-run facility located in Frederikshavn, which is also home to the Danish Navy. The Frederikshavn assembly facility, they emphasized, will be designed so that it can also be used to produce larger ships in the future.

“With the decision on a construction strategy where we bring several Danish production facilities into play as well as an assembly facility in Frederikshavn, we ensure that Denmark’s position in shipbuilding is strengthened, just as we strengthen Denmark’s security of supply in the long term,” said Minister of Defense Troels Lund Poulsen.

Denmark plans to build five ships specifically for the Arctic. The plan calls for ships with icebreaker capabilities, as well as advanced drone and enhanced surveillance capabilities. They will support both drone and helicopter operations, and once deployed, they could replace the existing Knud Rasmussen-class vessels, which could be transferred to Greenland for coast guard duties.

Danish Defence reports the decision on the construction strategy was made based on an analysis from Deloitte and consideration of cost-effectiveness. It says the distributed model emphasizes Danish production and provides access to a broader Danish industrial base and a larger workforce.

The ships are part of a larger strategy Denmark agreed to with Greenland and the Faroe Islands in October 2025, and building on a January 2025 commitment to invest about $2.2 billion in enhanced capabilities. The revised plan calls for an investment of nearly $4.3 billion. In addition to the five Arctic ships, they agreed to new maritime patrol aircraft, a dedicated vessel to monitor subsea cables, and the addition of a new subsea cable connecting Greenland and Denmark.